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Why Warriors Steve Kerr ‘liked’ Jonathan Kuminga’s ejection vs. Blazers
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- Why Warriors Steve Kerr ‘liked’ Jonathan Kuminga’s ejection vs. Blazers
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The post Why Warriors Steve Kerr 'liked' Jonathan Kuminga's ejection vs. Blazers appeared first on ClutchPoints .
While Jonathan Kuminga's ejection at the end of the first half versus the Portland Trailblazers stemmed from frustration, it's one of those kinds of ejections that Steve Kerr does not mind. In the wake of the Golden State Warriors ' 118-111 preseason victory over the Blazers on the road, Kerr spoke about Kuminga's ejection after he clapped in the official's face following a no-call on his drive to the hoop .
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"He got fouled. It was a frustration play. I have no problem with it," the Dubs' coach said. "He deserved the foul. He was getting fouled quite a bit. It was a physical game."
On replay, it appeared that Kuminga's frustration was somewhat justified. As Kuminga gathered for his layup attempt, Blazers' Kris Murray had his hand on his right forearm, alongside Jermi Grant on his left, swiping down on his wrist.
Kuminga's ejection soured an otherwise strong outing for the 23-year-old forward. Up to that point, he had collected seven points, six rebounds, and four assists. Kuminga was running the floor, finding open teammates, and rebounding– doing all the little things ancillary to scoring. Kerr emphasized Kuminga's impressive performance.
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"The way he ran on that play, the activity he played with, the rebounding– he had six boards in one half, 17 minutes. That's the JK who can really help our team, I loved the way he played. I love the fire, the passion, I don't mind the ejection at all– I kind of liked it, actually. I thought JK was terrific tonight."
Kerr not surprised about the referee's swift technicals
While Kerr didn't mind Kuminga's ejection, he was not surprised by the reasoning. Nor the speed. The official skipped the two-technical foul ejection altogether with the rare one-technical toss. Usually, referees give players some wiggle room when they voice their frustrations. Oftentimes, they assess one technical foul as a warning. In Kuminga's case, they deemed his actions severe enough to skip past a warning.
"I wasn't surprised he got ejected because he kind of got right in [the official's] face," Kerr said. "You can't do that. They are going to eject you if you do that. Like I said, I like the fire. I like the energy he played with and the emotion. I think JK is having an excellent camp and I'm excited about how he looks."
Kuminga has looked sharp in training camp after missing the first few days due to contract disputes with the Warriors' front office. But with a two-year $48-million extension signed , a small win-win for both sides, Kuminga and the Dubs are ready to put their heated negotiation process behind them.
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The Warriors will wrap up the preseason with a home matchup versus the Los Angeles Clippers .
Related: Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga reveals 'concerning flashback that set him off'
Related: Jonathan Kuminga ejected from Warriors-Blazers game after gesture to ref
